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In 2008, several years after swearing he would never work in the restaurant industry again, Yuen Yung opened the first how do you roll? in Austin, Texas with his brother Peter. Yuen and Peter had both worked diligently in their mom and pop’s restaurant until they were old enough to fly the coop; Yuen went to study business at the University of Texas while Peter stayed in Houston and at the age of 24, became head sushi chef of a fine dining restaurant.

After graduating, Yuen worked a typical 9-5, in a typical office building, feeling the typical lunch time crunch day-in and day-out. He was uninspired by the greasy fast food chains that were the norm and craved more variety in his routine. He often found himself at the local grocery store, picking out premade sushi rolls. Unsatisfied with this option, he mused to Peter one day why there were only two choices when it came to rolls — buying premade supermarket sushi that had been sitting out for who-knows-how-long or waiting at a sit-down restaurant for fresh, but often expensive rolls. Peter declared that he craved freedom of expression and wanted to break away from the staunch traditionalism and pretentious atmosphere of fine dining sushi. It was at that moment that a light bulb turned on for Yuen as he realized there was a business opportunity knocking at their door. Thus, how do you roll?, the first fast-casual, sushi inspired, creative asian kitchen was born.

Leading with innovation and being the first of its kind, hdyr? leads the sushi revolution by offering unique creations such as sushi burritos, salmon poke, sushi baos and a BLT roll! Those intimidated by raw fish as well as sushi aficionados can find exactly what they want with friendly items like noodles, stuffed avocados or grilled chicken rolls.

The restaurant held very different meanings for the brothers; for Yuen, hdyr? was an opportunity to leave an impression on the world, by making sushi more accessible and creating world peace through cultural fusion. He declared “making the world better, one stomach at a time” as their mission. On the other hand, Peter saw hdyr? as an opportunity to encourage individualism and rebel against tradition; in short, the rebel found his cause. For both brothers though, was the pursuit of the American Dream.

After conquering one city, Yuen and Peter decided it was time to confront the rest of the world. As the sushi revolution continues, hdyr? challenges you to reject boring, refuse ordinary, and rejoice in your choice — really, rethink sushi with chef driven inspirations.

Philosophy

“Making the World Better, One Stomach at a Time!”

Every decision we make at How Do You Roll? is determined by two questions: “Does this make the world better?” and “Does this live up to our core values?” If the answer to either one of those questions is “no,” then our decision is clear.

Our Blog

October is National Apple Month! To celebrate, we’re adding a seasonal ingredient that you can add to your order for a limited time only. We’re all about you creating your own sushi roll, but if you’re stumped as to how to get the most out of our apples, try out our Johnny Apple Roll! From […]

Lately, it seems like everyone is getting into the fusion food game. Combining people’s favorite foods has been a big hit the last few years (Cronuts, anyone?) and it was inevitable that sushi would follow suit. Is it the allure of making something traditionally healthy turn into something your doctor might disapprove of? Or maybe […]

A Better You, By You

As a college student, it’s important for me to have quick, healthy alternatives to frozen dinners and fast food. That’s why I love How Do You Roll?. Whether it’s in between classes, or on my way to work, I can get healthy food fast, and customize it to my picky taste buds. How Do You […]

Determination and hard work helps give me a competitive edge, but working out 3-4 times a day isn’t the only part of my training regimen. Nutrition impacts my performance and I try to eat 6-8 meals a day. Though I am a picky eater, I do like to go out to eat – choosing foods […]

As a busy mom, I still want to look and feel great. Staying active and eating healthy are an important part of my life, and I want my kids to have the same values. Before practices and after games, How Do You Roll? is the food I can pick up quickly and not feel guilty […]

In high school I was in great shape, but after a few years of the college lifestyle, I found myself so overweight I couldn’t run. The day I hit 300 pounds, I said, “This isn’t me, I need to lose the weight while I still can.” A friend recommended How Do You Roll? as a […]

As a swim coach, I try to set a good example for all the kids who look up to me., I teach my swimmers that food is fuel and how to choose the right foods for their growing bodies. Being commited to my own health, How Do You Roll? is awesome because it’s a quick […]